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March 20, 1962 Filed Oct. 25, 1960 w. E. BISP COLLAPSIBLE TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet l I INVENTOR.

William E. Bisp March 20, 1962 w. E. BISP 3,026,160

COLLAPSIBLE TABLE Filed Oct. 26, 1960 ta ar" "a 34. l

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 as (O 1 4 1 E al \IZ\A 11' 3| 2 9 1s F I G 9 2 INVENTOR.

William E. Bisp Attorney United States Patent ()fitice 3,026,160 Patented Mar. 20, 1962 3,026,160 COLLAPSIBLE TABLE William E. Bisp, North Miami, Fla. (1000 SW. 7th St., Hallandale, Fla.) Filed Oct. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 65,181 1 Claim. (Cl. 311-84) This invention relates to folding tables, and particularly to a type in which the legs are locked when in an extended supporting position, and which, when folded, will be disposed flatly against the underside of the table top and will be held in such folded position.

It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a table of this character which can be quickly placed in an operative position by the extension of its pivoted legs and the application of the locking means to brace rods for the legs, and which can be readily placed in a folded or collapsed condition and maintained therein for convenient storage or transportation.

it is an object of the invention to provide locking means for the foldable legs of a collapsible table, which locking means shall be eiiective to either maintain the legs in an extended or supporting position, or to hold the legs in a folded position wherein they are disposed against the under side of the table top.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a supporting structure for a table, which structure shall include a pair or substantially U-shaped legs andbrace rods therefor, and to provide locking means effective to engage the brace rods and hold the same in leg-bracing position and thereby maintain the legs rigidly and securely in such position. It is another object of the invention to include in such locking means, a means by which one of the legs is engaged and held in a folded-down position when the table is collapsed.

With these and other objects to be hereinafter set forth in view, I have devised the arrangement of parts to be described and more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

in the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed,

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a table constructed according to the invention and shown in its open position;

FIG. 2 is a View of the under side of the table top, showing the legs in their folded position, some parts being fragmentarily shown;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of PEG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

PEG. 5 is a sectional view, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the brackets which engage with the brace rods, and a perspective view of the locking lever that is pivotally mounted between the brackets;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view, in section through the locking mechanism, showing the brace rods disengaged from the brackets and from the locking lever;

FIG. 8 is a similar view showing the brace rods in locking engagement with the locking lever and brackets, and

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of a portion of the table, showing one of the legs extended and with one of the brace rods in locking engagement with the brackets and locking bar.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates the top of the table. It may be composed of wood, light weight metal such as aluminum, or of other suitable material. In the drawings the table top is shown as being rectangular in shape, but it can be made in various othe known shapes if desired.

The table top 10 is adapted to be supported on a pair of legs indicated respectively at 11 and 12. The legs 11 and 12 are preferably, although not necessarily composed of metallic tubing such as aluminum, and each leg is substantially U-shaped, thus having two side pieces 13 integrally connected by the cross piece 14. Each of the side pieces 13 of each leg is flattened at its end as indicated at 15, with such flattened portion pivotally attached by a rivet or other fastening element 16, to the downwardly-directed flange 17 of an angle bracket 18 having its second flange 19 attached to the underside of the table top 10 by the screws 20. The two legs 11 and 12 are thus pivotally attached to the table top by the means above described, and in a manner to permit the legs to be moved to the extended, top-supporting position shown in FIG. 1, or moved to the folded position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, wherein the legs lie closely adjacent to the bottom of the table top. Locking means for maintaining the legs in either of the above positions will now be described.

Secured to the under side of the table at substantially the center thereof and between the legs, is a pair of spaced angle brackets indicated respectively at 21 and 22. Each bracket includes a horizontal flange 23 through which screws 24 or other equivalent fastening elements are extended to secure the bracket to the under side of the table top 10. Extending downwardly from each of the horizontal flanges 23 are the integral vertical flanges 25, which flanges are sufficiently spaced apart to allow for the pivotal movement of a locking lever 2-7 located between them. A rivet 26, constituting a pivot pin, extends through the flanges 25 and through the lever 27, and the lever is pivoted on said rivet.

In its upper edge near one of its ends, the locking lever 27 is provided with a notch 28 of a size to enable it to fit over or embrace the cross piece 14 of the leg 11 when the legs are in their folded or collapsed position shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and with the leg 11 disposed outermost. Also provided in the upper edge of the locking lever 27 is a smaller notch 29 positioned for engagement with the brace rod 30 for the leg 11. Each of the two brace rods, shown respectively at 30 and 31, is in the form of a substantially V-shaped metallic rod, having a bight 32 at one end and lateral extensions 33 at its opposite end, which extensions pass through the side pieces 13 of the legs 11 and 12 and pivotally attach the brace rods to the legs. The nuts 40 and 41, shown in FIG. 5, hold the extensions 33 from displacement out of the legs. A notch 34, similar in shape and size to the notch 2?, is provided in the lower edge of the locking lever near one end, and the notch 34 is adapted for engagement with the bight 32 of the brace rod 31.

Formed in the opposite ends of the flanges 25 of the brackets 21 and 22 are notches indicated respectively at 35 and 36. When the legs 11 and 12 are in the opened or extended position shown in FIG. 1, the brace rods 30 and 31 are adapted to have their bights 32 engaged with the notches 35 and 36 and also with the notches 29 and 34 of the locking lever, as shown in FIG. 8.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the table will be readily apparent. In its operative or open position, the legs 11 and 12 are extended as shown in FIG. 1, at which time the brace rods cross one another near the bights and the bights of the brace rods 30 and 31 are respectively positioned in the notches 29 and 34 of the locking lever, the locking lever thus acting to maintain the bights 32 of the brace rods in the notches 35 and 36 of the brackets 21 and 22 and preventing any shifting or pivotal movement of the legs. When the parts are in the operative position above described, the legs are strongly braced, and a rigid and secure structure is the result.

When it is desired to fold or collapse the table for storage or transportation, the locking lever 27 is manually pivotally moved to the position shown in FIG. 7, wherein it will be noted that the notches 29 and 34 of the locking lever 27 have been disengaged from the bights 32 of the brace rods 39 and 31 so that upon pivotal movement inwardly ortoward one another, of the legs 11 and 12, the brace rods will become disengaged from the notches 35 and 36 of the brackets 21 and 22 to permit the brace rods to be pivotally moved and caused to lie flatly against the bottom of the table top. In moving the legs to the folded or collapsed position, the leg indicated at 12 is first moved toward the bottom of the table top, and the leg 11 is then folded. When both legs have been so folded, the locking lever 27 is then pivotally moved from the positionshown in FlG. 7, which position is also shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3, to the full line position shown. in FIG. 3, in which position the notch 28 of the locking lever 27 engages the cross piece 14 of the leg 11, thus serving to hold both legs from pivotal opening movement. Frictional engagement. between the flanges 25 of the brackets 21 and 22 and the locking lever 27 may be provided to such an extent as to cause the locking lever to maintain any position in which is is placed, thus enabling it to either hold the brace rods in the extended bracing position as shown in FIG. 1, or to hold the legs in the required folded position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

By reason of the construction described, a sturdy, rigid table is provided since the described locking means holds the legs against the possibility of inadvertent collapse. Also when the table has the legs md brace rods folded as herein described, for storage or transportation, any sudden opening or extension of the legs will be prevented.

In the form of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 9, there has been provided means for locking the legs in an extended position by locking devices similar to the first form of the invention, especially where'the table is of such length that the legs are spaced apart a distance whereby the brace rods 31 are so far apart as to require a separate locking device. In this form of the invention there has been provided a locking lever 27 that is pivotally connected at 26 between a pair of angle brackets 21' and 22. The inner edge of the vertical flange memtable the notch 29' that receives the bite portion of the brace members 31' when the legs 13' are extended to the table supporting position.

Having thus described a single embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to cover all structures coming within the scopeof the annexed claim.

What I claim is:

A folding table of the character described that is provided at its opposite ends with leg devices that are of U-shape and that have pivotal connection with fixed brackets adjacent the ends of the table whereby the legs may be swung inwardly and upwardly to a folded position beneath the table top, a lock mechanism that cornprises a pair of angle plates that are fixed to the bottom of the table top intermediate its length, the angle plates having a vertical flange and with the flanges of the plates being slightly spaced apart, each of the plates being provided upon their opposite ends with notches, a locking lever that is pivotally and frictionally connected between the flanges to swing in a vertical arc beneath the table, the lever being extended at one end beyond the flanges and provided with an upwardly opening relatively large notch, brace rods pivotally connected to the legs and extending inwardly and upwardly and with the brace rods being of general V-shape, having a bight portion, the bight portion of each brace rod adapted to seat within the notches of the flanges when the legs are in the extended supporting position, the lever upon opposite sides of its pivot being provided with notches in its upper and lower edges, one of the notches being downwardly opening while the other notch is upwardly opening, the notches being equidistantly spaced and spaced in accordance with the notches of the plates whereby to engage ove and bisect the first named notches when the lever is swung to a locking position, the said table legs when in the extended position causing the bight portions of the brace rods to seat within the first named notches and with the notches of the lever engaging the bight portions to prevent the bight portions from shifting outwardly of the first named notches, the said lever when the legs of the table are folded against the underside of the table top, adapted to engage a cross portion of the U-shape legs to seat within the large notch of the lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 376,726 White e Ian. 17, 1888 789,338 Shortall May 9, 1905 1,765,766 Lyon June 24, 1930 1,985,284 Cufi'el Dec. 25, 1934 2,470,869 Schmidt May 24, 1949 2,784,042 Clapper Mar. 5, 1957 2,785,963 Cvikich Mar. 19, 1957 

